Stronger together: Biodiversity Conventions boost synergy for global impact

The Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions (BLG), including the World Heritage Convention, convened at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome in February 2026. Comprising the executive heads of the convention secretariats, the group has met regularly since 2004, acting on a mandate from the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Recognizing persistent challenges including limited resources, capacity constraints, and fragmented reporting systems, the Liaison Group discussed practical cooperation across key areas, including access to finance, capacity-building, and harmonized monitoring and reporting. The Liaison Group also welcomed the entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), underscoring its importance for global biodiversity governance and signaling readiness for future collaboration.

After the meeting, the Liaison Group of Biodiversity-related Conventions adopted a joint communiqué reaffirming shared commitment to intensifying collaboration in response to the escalating global biodiversity crisis. In this context, participants emphasized the importance of supporting countries in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, particularly through stronger alignment across conventions and boosting coherence at the national level.

By aligning efforts with other biodiversity conventions, the World Heritage Convention advances its mandate to protect sites of Outstanding Universal Value while supporting broader biodiversity goals. This is already delivering results – from integrated management with Ramsar sites to coordinated responses to threats such as avian influenza, joint guidance for implementing the Global Biodiversity Framework, and more streamlined national monitoring and reporting. Notably, more than two thirds of species protected under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and half of animal species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) occur in UNESCO World Heritage sites, underscoring the need for close alignment. The World Heritage Centre reports annually to the World Heritage Committee on these efforts.